<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Is It Enough? by Space_Jumping_Writer</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30002205">Is It Enough?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_Jumping_Writer/pseuds/Space_Jumping_Writer'>Space_Jumping_Writer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Complete, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Multi, No Smut, Romantic Soulmates, Stuffed Toys</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:06:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,757</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30002205</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_Jumping_Writer/pseuds/Space_Jumping_Writer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In this world, a company called Soul Corps. sends every person a package when they are born. Inside the package is a stuffed animal and a note. It isn't until Dream is moving away from home that he discovers his own box, and the secrets it holds.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clay | Dream &amp; GeorgeNotFound &amp; Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream &amp; Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotFound &amp; Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prolouge (888)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>TW will be at the top of each chapter! They will spoil bits of the story but read them if you want!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(TW: Mention of illness, death mention)<br/>
In this world, a company called Soul Corps. sends every person a package when they are born. Inside the package is a stuffed animal and a note. The note reads:<br/>
Greetings, (Insert Name)<br/>
You are (Insert animal representing Insert name).<br/>
Your soulmate is (insert soulmate’s animal representation).<br/>
We hope you find them quickly.<br/>
Soul Corps.<br/>
Some children never open their box, and others only do when they’re older. It isn’t until he’s getting ready to move away from home that Dream discovers his box. While investigating said box, he found that the tape had been peeled away and re-sealed. Opening the box would reveal something Dream had never expected to happen to him.<br/>
Two plush creatures started back at him, their glossy brown and oaky button eyes seeming to watch him with strange alertness. There was a panda; round and soft, and a grey tabby cat; short, fuzzy, and seeming to watch his movement with a caring gaze. After removing the plushies from their box, a yellowed note was all that remained. He withdrew the note and read the secrets it held.<br/>
Greetings, Clay<br/>
You are Octopus.<br/>
Your soulmates are Panda and Grey Tabby Cat.<br/>
We hope you find them quickly.<br/>
Soul Corps.<br/>
It took a moment for Dream to register what that meant. Soulmates. As in two soulmates. This was bad. There were only two possibilities, and only one was pleasant. Either he had two soulmates to spend his life with, or, the more likely option, he’d meet one soulmate only for them to die, and he’d have a second soulmate to spend the rest of his life with. Despite knowing the likelihood of the latter, Dream found himself praying to whatever god would listen for the former. He didn’t want to know one soulmate was only meant to die and leave him in this world and wait for him in the next. He was broken from his worry by his phone vibrating. He answered without looking at the ID.<br/>
“Hello?”<br/>
“Hey Dream! All done packing up?” It was Sapnap, one of his closest friends.<br/>
“Almost. Just double-checking that I’ve got everything.”<br/>
"Don’t stress it too much man, it’s not like they’re gonna turn around and sell anything you don’t bolt to the floor.” Dream smirked.<br/>
“You don’t know that.” A warm laugh came from his phone speakers, and a similar warmth blossomed within him, spreading from the center of his chest to reach every inch of his being. Like the warm wind of a young autumn night, the laughter of his friend wrapped around him and he smiled, feeling suddenly very peaceful.<br/>
“Hey, once I’m done packing, wanna play Minecraft with George one last time before I leave?”<br/>
“You say that like we’ll never play again.” Sap laughed, before cutting himself off. “We will play again, all three of us, right?”<br/>
“Of course, Sappy. I don’t know how you two would survive without me.” Or how I’d survive without you. The thought crossed his mind with no red flags, and looking back Dream cursed himself out for not seeing it sooner.<br/>
"Yeah. George would lose his mind without you." Despite knowing it was merely lighthearted banter, Dream could feel his stomach twist. Did they really need him, or was it he that needed them?<br/>
"Aww, is that the only reason you guys need me?" Even though  he could hear the joking lilt in his own voice, he wanted to hear Sapnap say that he needed Dream. He brushed the feeling off as just wanting to be needed by his friend.<br/>
"Nah, I'd probably die of boredom without my two idiots to entertain me." For some reason, being called his made the warm feeling from before spread once again through his being, even warming his very soul. It was nice, and Dream found himself smiling like an idiot, his face flush with rosy pink hues. He blinked a few times, suddenly aware of how odd this was.<br/>
"Yeah yeah, whatever Sapmap." Dream said, trying his best to cover the slight shake in his voice. What was going on with him? Was he sick? "I'll call you and George later, then we can play some Minecraft, sound good?"<br/>
"Sounds good man. Talk to ya later." The soft click followed by faint static was all that came through the speakers now, and Dream found himself missing the other's voice already. He pocketed his phone before looking at the two plush animals in front of him. He picked them up, and held them close. The building storm of questions and worries in his mind quieted in that moment, when all he could feel was the soft material of the two animals that were his clue to finding his soulmates.<br/>
"Clay, dear? Are you almost done packing?" Dream could hear his mother calling as she climbed the stairs. "It's almost time for-" she paused, seeing the two animals he now held. A soft "oh" escaped her slightly parted lips.<br/>
"I'm almost done mom. I just," he paused. "I found this box…"<br/>
"Well, I was going to give them to you on your birthday, but I'm glad you found them. It's probably better that you have them before you move." Dream nodded, but in his own mind he was running in circles trying to figure out where, or who his Soulmates were.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 1 (1,460)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(Death mention, mild panic (not an attack tho), cursing (that's just for every chapter), screaming/yelling)<br/>
"GODAMMIT!" Dream was wheezing, trying desperately to breathe. George had fallen into a mineshaft and while Dream and Sapnap were trying to find him, a zombie horde had ambushed their screaming friend, who was now blocked into a corner. "GET YOUR ASSES OVER HERE AND HELP ME!"<br/>
"George we *wheeze* where are you?????" While still struggling to breathe, Dream could feel himself smiling. Despite the physical distance between them, the three were close as ever. The warm feeling from Sapnap's call was back, and it felt like summer sunshine while lying in a field of flowers. Despite the mounting worry for his health, the joy of playing Minecraft with his best friends took priority.<br/>
"I'm in a MINESHAFT with a HORDE of the UNDEAD!" George screamed, and Dream was once again clutching his stomach trying to breathe. Sapnap was laughing too, but more so at Dream's struggle to breathe than George's impending death.<br/>
"Aghhhh!" A scream from George caught their attention, before text appeared in the chat.<br/>
GeorgeNotFound was slain by Zombie.<br/>
"Aww, Georgie Worgie was Swain by the zombie wombie." Sapnap teased.<br/>
"Shut the fuck up Snapmap." Dream felt his eyes go wide. This was not going to end well.<br/>
"The fuck did you call me?"<br/>
"You heard me, Sappitus Nappitus."<br/>
"Boys." Dream said, feeling like a tired parent. "Stop bickering."<br/>
"But daaaad." Sapnap whined. "He started it."<br/>
"No I didn't!" George retorted, still ready to rip Sapnap a new one.<br/>
"Both of you apologize to each other." Dream expected protests of innocence or half-assed apologies, but the silence confused him.<br/>
"Sorry Sapnap." George finally spoke up, and it sounded genuine, or at least genuine enough to satisfy Dream.<br/>
"I'm sorry too."<br/>
"Good, now play nice." Dream smiled, before smacking Sapnap's character and sprinting away.<br/>
"Hey! Abuse!" Sapnap screamed after him. "George help me kill Dream!"<br/>
This prompted Sapnap and George to chase him around the world, and it wasn't until Dream actually got an achievement for visiting every biome in the overworld that they managed to capture and kill him.<br/>
"Finally! Jesus." Dream could hear George collapse back into his seat.<br/>
"How in the actual fuck did you keep getting away from us?" Sapnap asked, and Dream could hear the exasperation in his friend's voice.<br/>
"Get good." Dream smirked as his friends made various offended noises. This was what he loved about this game. The only real limit to it was your imagination, and 90° angles. It was what brought him his two closest friends. The thought sent an odd pang through his chest. They were his friends, so why did he feel so disconnected from them? Why did it feel like he was waiting for something? What was he waiting for?<br/>
"-eam? DREAM!" Dream blinked several times, feeling himself fall back into his body.<br/>
"Sorry guys, I kinda spaced out there. What's up?"<br/>
"Yeah, no kidding you spaced out. George asked you a question." Sapnap retorted, but Dream could hear the smile in his Texan friend's voice.<br/>
"Okay, what's up Gogy?"<br/>
"I asked you if you'd opened your box yet." The question seemed so out of left field, Dream forgot how to speak. What? Why was he asking? Why now, while Dream was having an existential crisis about who he thought he was?<br/>
"Dream? You still there buddy?"<br/>
"Yeah, I'm still here. And yeah, I've opened my box. How about you two?"<br/>
"Yeah, I actually got my box for like my thirteenth birthday, so I've had mine for a while."<br/>
"I actually have mine just sitting in the corner of my room. I don't know why, but I'm kinda scared to open it…" Sapnap's normally boisterous and confident tone was gone now, replaced by something different, something that just felt wrong.<br/>
"Why don't you open it now?" Dream hadn't even realized what he was saying. The words just tumbled out of his mouth, faster than his brain could comprehend the possible interpretations of what he'd just said. "You don't have to, it was just an idea." He quickly added, hoping he'd saved himself from mortification or something worse.<br/>
"I mean, I could," Sapnap said, sounding more like himself again. A rustling and a few thumps later, Sapnap had his webcam on and the box on his desk.<br/>
"Can you two idiots see me?" Dream was dumbfounded. Despite being friends with Sapnap for years, they'd never video called or anything, so seeing his face for the first time really drove at least one thing home for him.<br/>
Dream was really not straight.<br/>
"Y-yeah, I can see you," Dream stuttered out, trying and failing to keep himself from losing his cool and turning into a tomato man.<br/>
"Yep, your webcam is kinda shitty through." George's quip brought Dream back to the moment.<br/>
"Whatever Goggles. I'm gonna open this bad boy." Dream watched as Sapnap tore off the tape and froze.<br/>
"What's up?" Dream was now worried. Had Sapnap been a rare case where they got an empty box?<br/>
"Well, this is interesting." Sapnap reached into the box and pulled out not one,  but two plush animals. Dream felt his heartbeat quicken again. Two animals, just like him.<br/>
"Woah, you got two? That's nuts." George said, but there was something in his voice that Dream couldn't identify.<br/>
"Yeah, this is crazy." Sap dug into the box again, this time withdrawing a yellow paper. "Hang on, I found the note."<br/>
"Are you gonna read it?"<br/>
"Yeah yeah, gimme a sec." Dream watched as Sapnap unfolded the paper with care, almost as if he was scared it would dissolve before he could read it.<br/>
"Greetings, Nick.<br/>
You are panda.<br/>
Your soulmates are octopus and Grey tabby cat.<br/>
We hope you find them quickly.<br/>
Soul Corps."<br/>
None of them spoke for a minute. This was almost too much for Dream to process. His best friend was his soulmate. Not only that, but he had another soulmate. At least now he knew he didn't have to watch one soulmate die, that was comforting in a way.<br/>
"Well, now you know at least." George was the first to speak, and if Dream hadn't been stuck within his own storm of emotions, he might've noted that George sounded happier, more relaxed than he had before. Of course, Dream was an unobservant knucklehead and missed these small details.<br/>
"Yeah, I just worry now. What if it's one of those one dies situation? I don't want to watch someone I'd love die in front of me." Dream remembered thinking and worrying about the same thing. He wished to comfort Sapnap, to tell him that it wasn't gonna happen. That everything would be alright. But hundreds of miles separated them, and Dream was getting ready to start YouTube full-time. He couldn't exactly drop everything and go visit his long-time best friend and tell him that he was his soulmate.<br/>
"I get that. It's a scary thought,  that you might have to watch someone who was meant for you wither away in front of you." Dream said, not realizing what he was saying, but hoping it was the right thing.<br/>
"Yeah, but at least I won't have to spend the other part of my life alone, ya know? There's someone else the universe has set aside for me when I'm at my darkest moment, and that's kinda comforting." Despite knowing neither could see him, Dream found himself nodding in agreement.<br/>
"It could also be that rare case where you have two people to spend your life with, don't forget that," George said, the tired tone slightly slurring the words.<br/>
"Yeah. Yeah, it could be that. That would be nice." Dream could feel the twisting in his stomach, but he remained silent. He won't ruin his friendship. It didn't matter that he knew Sap was his soulmate, Dream wasn't gonna be the one to tell him.<br/>
"Dream, ya still there buddy?"<br/>
"Yeah, sorry."<br/>
"You apologize too much."<br/>
"Sorry George, nervous habit."<br/>
"Well for god's sake stop apologizing."<br/>
"Sor-"<br/>
"Shut it!" George cut him off, causing Sapnap to laugh. Dream felt the crawling heat at his neck again, blossoming in his cheeks and warming his face. He glanced at the digital clock on his nightstand. 3 A.M., geez time flies when you're having fun and finding out your best friend is your soulmate.<br/>
"I gotta go guys, it's getting late anyways."<br/>
"No it isn't," George retorted, earning a snort from Sapnap.<br/>
"Fine, late for us." Dream rolled his eyes, smiling at his computer. "Goodnight guys."<br/>
"Night Dream."<br/>
"G'night."<br/>
Dream saved his place in the world before closing both Minecraft and discord. He turned the computer off and walked to the side of his bed, flopping into the soft surface with a tired sigh. Within minutes, he was out like a light.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 2 (715)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(TW: Death mention (in-game), mention and description of having trouble sleeping)</p><p>This was agonizing. Something in his mind had decided that telling Sapnap would ruin both their friendship and his life, which led him to this criminally painful recording. It was a death swap, team game. Whichever team got one member of the other team killed won, and George and Sapnap wouldn't shut up.<br/>
"Come on Dreamie~. You can't kill me!"<br/>
"Whatever Sap." Dream could hear the bitterness in his own voice, and felt awful. His friends had no idea the rollercoaster their teasing flirts sent him through. Every time it caught him right in the wrong moment. Trap being built? Flirty comment that would fluster and defocus him. Getting diamonds over lava? Casual 'oh Dream~' sends him into said lava, more than once. If Dream had had a clear enough mind, he might've noticed that his friends were playfully flirting a lot more often as well.<br/>
The ten second warning showed up in chat.<br/>
"Aww, too bad. Looks like it's the end of the line for our poor Dream…" George said in his 'you are screwed and I know it' voice. Dream felt the corner of his mouth twitch. They wouldn't win that easily.<br/>
"Oh woe is me, to lose to such, devious people." Dream knew he was being too obvious, and he was debating playing it off, but there was no need to.<br/>
They'd trapped him in an obsidian box to drown.<br/>
And Dream had a diamond pickaxe.<br/>
About 20 seconds passed. Then 30.<br/>
"How are you not dead????" Sapnap's confusion and mild outrage was almost tangible.<br/>
"Never underestimate me, Snapmap."<br/>
"What did you just call me?" A smirk, along with a plan, formed.<br/>
"Sorry, Samsung Refrigerator."<br/>
"Pfft." George tried and failed to stifle his laughter. While the other two were distracted, a devilishly simple trap came into being. Fall damage would work just fine, and being on the tallest mountain in the seed would help with that.<br/>
Once again, the ten second notification appeared in the corner of his screen.<br/>
"GG boys. It was fun while it lasted, but nothing will survive this."<br/>
"Don't be so cocky, Dream." George was trying to cover whatever he was feeling with his pride, but what he was covering alluded Dream.<br/>
Five seconds.<br/>
Four.<br/>
Three.<br/>
Dream jumped off the cliffside, falling towards the water below.<br/>
Two.<br/>
One.<br/>
He swapped places with George, who screamed for a second before…<br/>
GeorgeNotFound hit the ground too hard.<br/>
"GG George. I told you."<br/>
"How in the hell did you know I had frost walker boots?"<br/>
"You brag too much. That's how." Dream muted his mic and stopped his recording, before unmuting again. AntFrost had left both the call and the game, saying goodnight as he left. Now it was just the three of them. Fuck.<br/>
The call fell silent. The death swap data was turned off, leaving them in the world to explore, and find each other.<br/>
"Dream, you okay buddy?" Sapnap's voice was coated with concern. An involuntary yawn escaped Dream, who leaned back in his chair, stretching. His clock read 11:30 pm. Not too late, but with the way he's been sleeping, he should've called it over an hour ago. He was exhausted, and it was starting to take a more lasting toll.<br/>
"Yeah, just haven't been sleeping well lately." If I sleep at all.<br/>
"Bummer. I hate those nights. You know, when it just feels like your brain won't shut up?"<br/>
"Yeah, they suck." And it wouldn't be as bad…<br/>
"Sorry that's happening to you man. Maybe take a few days break? Sleep in for a few, does wonders for the psyche." If what I was thinking about…<br/>
"Anyways, go sleep Dream. You need to sleep."<br/>
Wasn't you two…<br/>
"Yeah, you're right. Good night guys."<br/>
"Night."<br/>
"G'night."<br/>
Dream left the call and his computer. Lying on his back he stared at the ceiling, his brain connecting patterns in the slightly chipped paint, distracting him from everything else. Soon a map seemed to rise into place among the cracks and creases of paint. With his last conscious moment, Dream tried to memorize the map. Sleep blurred his vision, relaxed his muscles, and slowed his beating heart. The Mastress of Night tempting him into the ethereal plane of Hypnos, where inhibitions are nonexistent and reality is merely a suggestion. This intoxicating dance led him to unconsciousness.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 3 (1,140)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(TW: Self-inflicted isolation, mentions of shattering glass, ghosting)</p>
<p>Dream didn’t know how much longer he could keep himself quiet. At this point, there were only three truths Dream knew. One; his best friend was his soulmate, Two; He'd been in love with both of his friends for some time now, and Three; Everything would change the moment they figured that out. It’s been almost a month since the recording, and Dream felt like he was dying inside. He’d almost stopped talking to Sapnap and George completely about a week and a half ago, and his friends were getting worried for him. His phone dinged for the third time this hour, and Dream once again debated whether he should answer and explain his absence or just ignore it and try to think about something, anything, other than the friends he was ghosting. Soon his phone started chiming, and Dream felt whatever resolve or idiocy that kept him from answering solidify inside him. He picked up the phone and declined the call. Despite the growing thornbush of shame in his gut, Dream placed his phone back on the nightstand before standing up.<br/>“I don’t need to tell them. We can still be friends. Besides, it’s not like they think of me that way anyways,” He said under his breath as he got himself a glass of water. Before he knew it, the glass was empty and he was staring at the bottom of the glass, clutching it so hard he might shatter it right then and there. He was shaking, almost losing his balance. The house was dark, and the only light was from the setting sun out his window. He hadn’t left the confines of this now stuffy house in almost two weeks, and it was starting to show. A loud chime sounded from behind the partially closed bedroom door he’d left behind roughly ten minutes ago. Dream filled and downed another glass of water before tugging the door open and picking up the incessantly-chiming device. George was calling him, and he tried to decline it, but he answered it by accident.<br/>"Dream! Jesus H. Christ, what the hell?" George's voice was hoarse, like he'd been crying or screaming, maybe both.<br/>"I-" Dream started but any words got caught in his throat. Any words were lost in the moment of silence.<br/>"I'm adding Sapnap to the call, and then you have some explaining to do, got it?"<br/>"Okay." Dream could barely manage speaking at all, how in the hell was he gonna explain everything? Oh, yeah, I just ghosted you for about two weeks because I’ve discovered that one of you is my soulmate and I’ve fallen for both of you, no big deal right?<br/>"Dream?" The mix of both joy, relief, exasperation, and confusion caught him off-guard. Dream never realized how much he affected them.<br/>"Yeah, I'm here."<br/>"Are you okay? What happened? Did you get sick? Why haven't you been answering us???" The mounting worry and borderline mania in Sapnap's voice was scaring Dream.<br/>"I'm sorry. A lot has been happening…” and I wish I could tell you even half of it.<br/>"Dream, are you still there?" <br/>"Y-yeah, sorry. I’m fine, I promise.”  Dream looked over at the two stuffed animals on his desk, before  grabbing them and holding them close to his chest.<br/>"A-are you sure Dream?" George spoke with doubt lacing the words.<br/>“You know if anything’s going on, we’re here for you buddy.” That stabbed into Dream’s heart with razor-sharp pain. Buddy, as in a friend. Ouch.<br/>“It’s just, relationship troubles…” Dream didn’t know where he was going with this, but he heard a sigh.<br/>“Did you find one of your soulmates?” Why did it sound like George was disappointed?<br/>“Kind of? But they live kinda far away.”<br/>“How far?”<br/>“At least 17 hours drive from here.” Both lines went silent.<br/>“That sucks, Dream. They're so-”<br/>“Do they live in Texas?” Sapnap cut George off, seeming to have found an odd interest in this conversation. Dream said nothing. Sapnap was right, but he didn’t know how right he was.<br/>“Y-yeah.”<br/>“Is it…” Dream could feel the warmth from conversations past return with roaring gusto, this time causing him to actually start sweating. Removing the green hoodie he was wearing over a grey tank top, he still could feel the fire in his soul blazing anyway. “Is it me?” Sapnap finally asked, and Dream knew it would ruin everything if he lied now.<br/>“It’s you, Nick.”<br/>No one spoke, and the silence lasted long enough that Dream wondered if they'd hung up.<br/>"Holy shit," Sapnap said, and Dream couldn't help but laugh.<br/>"What's so funny?"<br/>"Nothing, nothing," Dream said through wheezes. This whole thing was just bizarre.<br/>"Dream?" <br/>"Yeah Sap?"<br/>"Do you have two soulmates?" The pit in Dream's stomach swallowed the doubt, and just left him with unease.<br/>"Y-yeah. I do."<br/>"I hate to interrupt," George said, and Dream had almost forgotten what was worrying him. "But I have to ask."<br/>"Ask what?"<br/>"Sapnap, you got a cat plushie, right?"<br/>"Yeah?"<br/>"Did you get a similar cat Clay?" Dream could feel the humid air growing static, or maybe that was just his anxious energy charging the air around him.<br/>"Y-yeah, A grey tabby."<br/>"Well, that answers that."<br/>"Answers what now?"<br/>"Who your other soulmate is, numbskulls.”<br/>Dream just sat there, dumbfounded. What the fuck was George talking about?<br/>“What are you getting at George?” Sapnap voiced Dream’s thoughts, and a heavy sigh was all that came from George.<br/>“Well, if Clay is the octo,”<br/>“Yeah?”<br/>“And you are the Panda,”<br/>“For god’s sake George, just tell us!” Dream was getting frustrated. Why was it so hard for George to just spit it out?<br/>"Look. What color is the collar on the cat?"<br/>Collar? Dream looked at the fuzzy cat and sure enough, there was a blue collar with a red-and-white tag. How had he not noticed that before?<br/>"It's blue. George, what's going on?" Dream was still confused. What in the fresh hell was going on here?!<br/>"Clay, are you really that dense?"<br/>"Maybe! I don't understand this! Just tell me goddamnit!" There was silence, a deafening silence. The second the words left his mouth Dream regretted getting mad. It wasn't making sense to him, and George wasn't helping. "I'm sorry. This is all confusing."<br/>"..."<br/>"Dream?"<br/>"Yeah George?"<br/>"I'm sorry too. I thought it was obvious, but without the context, it doesn't make sense."<br/>"Context?"<br/>"I'm the grey tabby."<br/>No one spoke after that. This was all too much. Not only was one of his friends, but both of his best friends were his soulmates. How in the hell did he get this fucking lucky? This didn't feel real. The next thing said sparked many interesting things to fall into place.<br/>"What would you guys think about coming to visit me here in Florida?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 4 (1,234)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(TW: Airports, brief mention of traffic) </p><p>Two weeks later, the two had tickets and were going to be flying in on Saturday. Dream woke up early that fateful day, finding himself too jittery to sleep. The excitement had sent his entire being into overdrive. Dream checked his phone for the fifteenth time within the hour, but there were no new texts from either.</p><p>Dream, Sapnap, and George:<br/>
Dream:<br/>
Let me know when you guys land okay?10:30pm<br/>
Sapnap:<br/>
Will do 10:31pm<br/>
George:<br/>
Okay 10:31pm<br/>
Saturday, March 27<br/>
Dream:<br/>
Have a safe flight7:00am</p><p>No new messages, which was to be expected. One was packing and the other was already on his plane to visit him. The reality and gravity of the situation had still not yet sunken in. His best friends, his soulmates, were going to be here with him. In the same state as him. Under the same roof as him. George's plane had taken off at 4:45 a.m. and Sapnap's departure wasn't until 11:30 a.m. They'd both arrive around 2 p.m., so he had some time to kill. He'd already cleaned up the guest rooms, and washed the sheets on both his and the guest mattresses.<br/>
There wasn't much to do around the house, so he went out. Stopped by the store to pick up snacks and anything he was out of. By noon, he'd already spent a bit more than he'd like to admit on junk food and snacks for him and his friends. With nothing to do but sit at home and wait, Dream drove home.<br/>
After packing the cupboards with the fruits of his trip, Dream collapsed into his couch. Patches sat at his feet and mewed.<br/>
"Sorry Patches. Guess I forgot to feed you." Dream stood, and the cat's tail sprung up happily. After pouring the cat food into her dish, Patches purred before chowing down. Dream smiled before sitting down again. He turned the tv on, but nothing of much interest caught his fleeting attention. Checking his phone again, it was only 12:45 p.m. and the wait was starting to stress him out. He wanted everything to be perfect. By 1:30 p.m., Dream had showered, changed clothes three times, and double-checked the house over twice. After a while, Dream decided to wear something that would definitely stand out. The porcelain mask was cool to the touch, but still fit comfortably on his face. As he got ready to drive over to the airport, he slid the mask onto his forehead. The airport was roughly fifteen minutes away, but the traffic was kinda bad and it took almost 25 minutes for Dream to park in the airport garage.<br/>
He sat in the lobby, waiting for a text from either of his soon-to-arrive friends, but there was nothing. The clock on the wall read 1:59 p.m. a few agonizing minutes ticked by before his phone dinged.<br/>
Dream, Sapnap, and George:<br/>
Dream:<br/>
Let me know when you guys land okay?10:30pm<br/>
Sapnap:<br/>
Will do 10:31pm<br/>
George:<br/>
Okay 10:31pm<br/>
Saturday, March 27<br/>
Dream:<br/>
Have a safe flight 7:00am<br/>
Sapnap:<br/>
My plane just landed. See you soon Dreamie ;) 2:01 p.m.<br/>
George:<br/>
Touching down now. Can't wait to see you both. 2:02 p.m.</p><p>Dream stood, and headed in the direction of the gates. George was gate 7, and Sapnap was gate 5. He waited by the baggage claim, hoping to spot them from the crowd. There wasn't a huge amount of people, but it was still a bit crowded.<br/>
The first one he saw was Sapnap. He was about 15 feet from Dream, grabbing an orange suitcase. George, Dream noticed, was about five feet from Sapnap, waiting for his luggage.<br/>
Dream, Sapnap, and George:<br/>
Dream:<br/>
Let me know when you guys land okay?10:30pm<br/>
Sapnap:<br/>
Will do 10:31pm<br/>
George:<br/>
Okay 10:31pm<br/>
Saturday, March 27<br/>
Dream:<br/>
Have a safe flight 7:00am<br/>
Sapnap:<br/>
My plane just landed. See you soon Dreamie ;) 2:01 p.m.<br/>
George:<br/>
Touching down now. Can't wait to see you both. 2:02 p.m.<br/>
Dream:<br/>
I see you both. Can you find me tho?👀 2:05 p.m.<br/>
George:<br/>
We have literally no idea what you look like 2:05 p.m.<br/>
Sapnap:<br/>
He's got you there Dream 2:05 p.m.<br/>
Dream:<br/>
Shit.<br/>
I'm wearing a mask. That help? 2:06 p.m.</p><p>Dream pocketed his phone before looking once again at his friends. Both were looking at their phones, before glancing up and trying to find him. George was the first to spot him, but they both got to him around the same time.<br/>
"Hey." The moment was so much, his brain short-circuited on what to say. Both George and Sapnap burst out laughing.<br/>
"What?"<br/>
"We flew all the way here to see you and you say 'hey'?" George teased, before yawning.<br/>
"Is this your actual face? A porcelain disk with two dots and a smile?" Dream smiled, before undoing the magnetic clasp on the mask. Removing it, Dream blinked and looked at his friends. Both were gawking. Dream laughed nervously.<br/>
"What? Am I that ugly?"<br/>
"Nope." Sapnap was still staring, but he'd regained control of his mouth. "You're, like, really handsome."<br/>
"Mhm." George agreed. Nothing could have prepared him for this, feeling. The rush of warmth that started in his chest and painted his cheeks with crimson and rosy hues. It was nice.<br/>
“If I’m handsome, then neither of you look in a mirror very often.” This caused both people before him to choke, flushing as red as Dream had felt. “Karma’s a bitch, huh?”<br/>
“Asshole,” was all that George could get out, trying to breathe.<br/>
“Jesus fuck, Dream.” Sapnap said, regaining his breath. “What was that?”<br/>
“That, was how I show affection.”<br/>
“Fuck off.” George laughed, and the three joked and jabbed at each other all the way to Dream’s house.<br/>
After settling their stuff into the guest rooms, the trio re-convened at the couch, and Patches joined them, happy to have other people in the house who can give her the affection she was so cruelly denied by Dream.<br/>
“Hi Patches, aren’t you affectionate?” Sapnap said,  petting the already purring cat.<br/>
“She likes you, Sap. Consider yourself honored.” Dream smiled, and the feeling was back. His entire body felt like he’d been lying in the sun for the past hour.<br/>
“So, wanna watch a movie?”<br/>
“Sure, what movie though?” George was leaning against his side now, clearly tired from both the early rising he’d had and the severe jet-lag.<br/>
“How about The Princess Bride? It’s one of my favorites.” Dream suggested, remembering that the movie was very good, if a little old.<br/>
“I don’t think I’ve seen that.” George yawned, eyes already half-closed.<br/>
“I have, but it’s been a while.”<br/>
About three minutes later, the three of them were huddled together around the large bowl of popcorn Dream was holding, and the opening credits of the movie played.<br/>
After about an hour, Dream felt something lean heavily on his left side, and turned to see George sound asleep. He smiled softly, before shifting himself to make George more comfortable. Roughly fifteen minutes after that, a soft snore came from Sapnap, who was also out cold. Dream, now pinned by his friends’ sleeping forms, set the bowl down and got comfortable. It wasn’t too long until he was in the clutches of sleep as well.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 5 (1,157)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(TW: slight steam, nothing sexual tho, brief mentions of smoke/burning [food])</p>
<p>It was quiet, and Dream felt peaceful. He was at an old dock not too far from his mom's house. The water was calm and reflected the millions of stars above him in the sky, shining shards of sun. The water was warm, and lapped gently at his feet. This was his personal spot, where he'd go when nothing else could calm him. This was his safe space. <br/>The wind whistled softly in the trees and sang a soft melody that was familiar in a way you can never place. It was a perfect night, better than Dream could ever ask for. It wasn't until he heard the soft creak of the old wood that he realized he wasn't alone.<br/>"This place is beautiful Dream." George was sitting beside him, looking out towards the sea.<br/>"And peaceful." Sapnap was just behind him, watching the fish that swam under the dock and out to sea. Somehow, despite it being more populated than he was used to, Dream didn't want them to leave. The only thing that faulted this beautiful place was that it was lonely. Now, it was perfect.<br/>"Dream?" George was looking at him now.<br/>"Yeah?" Dream was facing him now, and felt the fire of his emotions spark up.<br/>"What would you do," George said, turning his whole body to face Dream, "if I kissed you?"<br/>"I- uh- huh?" He was so caught off guard that the words he'd wanted to say all jumbled together.<br/>"What would you do?" George was closer now, and Dream felt his pulse quicken. George was getting closer, and closer, until Dream felt the soft pressure of George's lips on his. After a second of shock, Dream kissed back, placing a hand on the back of George's head. The feeling of passion spread across and through him like water, filling every crevice and crack within him with sweet-smelling affection. They both pulled away, red-faced and breathless, and Dream wondered briefly if George had felt even half of the emotion that had just overloaded his system.<br/>"And what would happen," Dream turned when he heard Sapnap begin to talk, "if I did the same?"<br/>"I- but- uh-" Dream could feel his brain frying from the pure emotion and adrenaline in his body. Soon enough, Sapnap was kissing him. Unlike George, Sapnap was rougher, warmer, like fire. It took less than a second for Dream to respond, feeling the intensity in the flames of his, love? Desire? Passion? Dream didn't know what it was, but only that it was warm and sweet like fresh caramel. The heat melted any worries from his mind and soul, leaving him with nothing but the pure feeling of affection and love. The kiss lasted for only a minute, but it felt like an entire lifetime. After breaking apart, the three lay on the dock, one of George's and Sapnap's hands intertwined with either of Dream's. This was what was missing from this place. The company of his soulmates. The loves of his life beside him, just looking up at the stars.</p>
<p>Of course, nothing good can last. Dream woke to the soft headbutting of Patches. She was sitting on his chest, rubbing against his face.<br/>"Good morning to you too, Patches." Dream sighed, his mind still stuck in his dream. Why did it happen? What would he do if something like that happened here, in the real world? Flirting with someone who is miles away is a lot easier than with the one who's sleeping next door. The small digital clock on his nightstand read 6:15 A.M.<br/>"You are awful, Patches." Dream glared at the cat, who mewed and pawed at the door. After half an hour of attempting to fall asleep again, Dream gave up and got ready.<br/>After his daily routine, Dream entered the kitchen and began cooking. Just a simple omelet for each of them. Around 7:00 was when the first signs of life came drifting down the stairs. The water was running in the bathroom, and the opening and closing of a door gave him about five minutes before either of his house guests would be downstairs. Sure enough, right after the timer for the eggs went off, a sleepy George came down the stairs.<br/>"Good morning Grogy." Had it not been for the death stare George now fixed him with, Dream would have never noticed this blunder.<br/>"Grogy? Did you just fucking call me Grogy?" Dream blinked, confused, before almost losing his balance laughing.<br/>"Oh my god." Dream tried to breathe, the wheezing forcing every ounce of air out of his lungs. "I'm sorry George, it was a slip, I promise."<br/>"Sure." George squinted at him, and Dream could almost see the bullshitimeter above his head. <br/>"I mean it George. It was an accident."<br/>"Okay," George seemed satisfied. "What are you cooking?"<br/>"Just some omelets, okay?"<br/>"Awesome, as long as it means I don't have to cook." Dream raised an eyebrow in question. "I can't cook."<br/>"What? You never learned how to cook?" Dream asked in disbelief.<br/>"Learned? Yes. Can I cook without burning something? No. My mother banned me from the kitchen after the third time I tried to cook. Our neighbors called the fire department."<br/>"Really?"<br/>"No, but with how much smoke was in that kitchen? They might as well have." Dream laughed, and smiled softly.<br/>"Well then, I shall be your chef this morning."<br/>"So Dream's a chef now?" Sapnap was leaning against the doorframe, his hair still wet from the shower.<br/>"A better chef than me, that's for sure." George proceeded to dig into the omelets, and soon Sapnap was following suit. The three ate their omelets, and now it was time to decide what to do.<br/>"Wanna go to the beach?" Dream couldn't shake the memory of his dream last night. It had felt so real, and Dream would be lying if he said he didn't want it. He wanted to feel important again. To feel loved, in a way no family or friend can love you, but in the way of someone who chose to spend their life with you. The thought gave him pause. Chose. Neither of them chose him, or each other for that matter. This wasn't what Dream wanted, not how he wanted it. It felt wrong. He felt wrong. Pulling himself back into this reality, Dream tried to join the conversation that had carried on while he was thinking.<br/>"Well, I didn't bring swim shorts." George said, almost looking sheepish.<br/>"It's no big deal. There are tons of surf and turf shops on the boardwalks, and they have swimsuits." Dream sighed, before shaking his head. Regardless of the thoughts, Dream would have a fun day with his friends. <br/>"So are we all in agreement? Beach day?"<br/>"Beach day."<br/>"Beach day." Dream and George spoke in unison, before looking at each other and laughing. Today was going to be awesome.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 6 (1,302)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(TW: Crabs(?), disassociation, drowning, 911 mention, CPR mention, story tropes mention/kinda 4th wall breaking w/o actually breaking the 4th wall???)</p>
<p>The sun was high overhead now, and Dream couldn't have been happier. The beach, being surprisingly uncrowded, was beautiful. Sapnap was sunbathing on a red beach towel, while George and Dream tried to build a sand castle. Emphasis on tried. What they ended with was more like a mass of lumps surrounding a pit with sandy water and a small crab in it. The crab, dubbed Sir Pincherton the Painful, was scuttling up the uneven walls, only to slide back into the water. Eventually they felt bad enough to let Sir Pincherton out. He scuttled away towards the water, which gave Dream an idea.<br/>He walked carefully through the shallow water, not wanting to step on anything that might not take too kindly to being stepped on. It took a few minutes, but Dream's searching was rewarded. A perfect spiral shell, devoid of whomever lived in it before.<br/>"George, come here." George, who had been sitting in the shallows, waded over.<br/>"What is it?" Dream handed him the shell. "Woah." The shell was vibrant with swirling shades of blue fading into a cream near the base.<br/>"It's beautiful." George was admiring the shell, but Dream couldn't tear his gaze from George. The awestruck wonder made his chocolate brown eyes sparkle with fascination. At that moment, Dream noticed something. George's eyes weren't the same. They were incredibly similar, but his left eye was lighter brown than the right. There was a faint ring of green around the left pupil, blending into the oak-brown of the rest of the iris. Oak-brown, like the oak-like buttons on the cat plush. George's plush. The slight irony brought Dream back to his senses. George was looking back at him now. Face flush with embarrassment, Dream looked away, avoiding George's gaze.<br/>"What did you find so interesting about my face that you stopped paying attention?" Dream winced slightly. He really had been staring directly at George's face for much longer than he thought.<br/>"Your eyes, they're different." It was George's turn to flush, embarrassed.<br/>"Yeah, they look weird right?"<br/>"I'd say beautiful, not weird." George looked at him, and this time Dream met his gaze.<br/>"Really?" The world around them seemed to fall away, it was just them, in this perfect moment.<br/>"Yeah," Dream could feel his heartbeat speed up, almost beating out of his chest. <br/>"Thanks, Dream. That, means a lot. Especially from you." George smiled, before turning and sitting back in the shallows. Dream sat beside him, and, with less grace than a dying flamingo, Sapnap joined them, having tanned enough to apparently warrant a dip in the ocean water. The day was perfect, and it wasn't even over.<br/>It was mid-afternoon now, and the beach was almost empty except for them. Dream was floating on his back, relaxing in the salty water and warm sun. This was why Dream loved the beach. The only reason he didn't go often was because A; there were almost always a lot of people, and B; He hated going to the beach alone. But with his friends, it was so much nicer to be here, in this moment. But did they feel the same? Were they even enjoying it here? Did they even enjoy his company anymore? <br/>This is awfully like those stories you used to read, isn't it Dream?<br/>He tried to ignore it, but the thought was repeating like a broken record. Was this his life? Or was it just a story for someone else's twisted pleasure? He was just words on a page, wasn't he? He probably wasn't even the main character, was he? Of course not, he wouldn't be that important anyways. The side character in love with the main character, that's what he was. A flat background character designed to make the main characters look cooler, more than he could ever be. The panic was slowly setting in. What if he was doomed to be heartbroken? Wasn't that what happened to the side character in those stories? Heartbroken and either dead or unable to love again. This was his fate, to be desolate with heartbreak. Dream hadn't noticed that he'd sunk under the surface until he tried to regulate his breathing, taking in a lungful of water. This was it, he heard amidst the panic, this was how he'd die. His vision was blurring, but he tried to drag his body through the water towards the surface. Something grabbed him, and was pulling him up before he passed out.<br/>The blinding light of the sun was the first thing Dream saw, before noticing Sapnap leaning over him, and George on the phone, talking quickly. Dream had never noticed how pretty his friends were. The sun was catching orange and gold flecks in Sapnap's eyes, making them look like molten bronze. Dream could feel the water in his lungs still, and his body convulsed, coughing up anything that would leave his throat.<br/>"Dream! Thank God you're alive!" Once he'd stopped coughing, Dream tried to focus his eyes on his friend, who seemed to have been crying.<br/>"What happened?"<br/>"I don't know, Dream. One minute you're floating in the water, the next you're gone. I dove in because I was worried something had grabbed you. When I did find you, I dragged you back to shore, and George called 911 while I…" He looked away, cheeks darkening with blush. "I administered CPR to get the water out of your lungs." George had hung up and ran over.<br/>"Dream! Are you okay? What happened?"<br/>"I-" you can't tell them, they'd never believe you. <br/>Fuck off.<br/>"I think I started panicking and didn't realize that I had gone under."<br/>"Well, what matters is that you're okay. We're all okay now." Sapnap grabbed Dream and George's hands, smiling. "And that's what matters."<br/>Later, when the trio had arrived home, Sapnap and Dream were waiting for George to finish up in the shower. <br/>"If you don't mind talking about it, why did you panic?" Sapnap was looking at the floorboards in front of him, but Dream could see the worry in his friends eyes.<br/>"It just seems like, I'm not the main character, you know? Like, this is someone else's story, and I'm just a background character." Sapnap didn't respond for a second, before wrapping Dream in a hug.<br/>"I know how that feels, man. It's hard." Sapnap said, still hugging him. "But you are your own main character. And no matter what, the three of us will show the world what main characters we are." Dream smiled, hugging his friend back with a reassuring squeeze.<br/>"Thank you Sap. That's just what I needed to hear."<br/>"Of course, Dream." The two let go of each other, and after all three had showered, they found themselves on the couch once again.<br/>"So, what do we wanna do tonight?" George was draped over the majority of the couch, and his friends' laps as well.<br/>"If you'll get off of me, I can cook us something." George sat up almost instantly.<br/>"Cook what exactly?"<br/>"I thought maybe chicken parmesan or chicken alfredo?"<br/>"What's chicken parmesan?" Dream raised an eyebrow.<br/>"Really?" George raised his hands in defeat.<br/>"I have no idea what that is."<br/>"Then I know what we're having tonight."<br/>Twenty minutes later, each had a helping of pasta with chicken, parmesan cheese, and spaghetti sauce. Dream waited for his friends' reactions.<br/>"This is awesome," Sap said, his mouth full.<br/>"I second that." Dream smiled, before digging in himself. It was nice to cook for someone else. Less lonely to have a meal to share.<br/>After dinner, the three were sitting together, having tuned out whatever show they'd put on. They were just enjoying each other's presence, and a comfortable silence fell. This was a pretty perfect ending to a slightly imperfect day.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 7 (1,475)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(TW: Storms, talk of counseling/therapy)</p>
<p>Dream opened his eyes, and for a minute he didn’t know where he was. It was his old room, back in his mom’s house. His phone buzzed next to him. It was a text from George.<br/>Pandas and I are on the server, care to join us?<br/>Dream remembered this night. Looking at it with what he knew now, it was the night he started falling in love with his friends. He'd met Sapnap almost two years ago, and George about two months ago. It was the first time all three of them would be hanging out alone. No other friends, no server modding, just the three of them hanging out and playing Minecraft. The old PC booted up the game, in 1.6.3. Jeez, time to re-learn 1.6 minecraft. The server list popped up, only having three choices. Hypixel, Mineplex, and one labeled simply "mc hangout." Double-clicking on the hangout server, the world booted up, taking a minute. Soon the world generated around him. Once glance at his in-game hand told him that he was in his old skin. Yikes, memories. Dream chuckled. This was so weird. The chat updated, displaying a new message.<br/>Pandas: Hey Dream! :D<br/>GeorgeNotFound: We're on VC 3.<br/>Finally something familiar. Quickly switching voice channels, the younger voices of his friends greeted him.<br/>"Hey Dream!" Pandas was now in front of him, punching over his shoulder to wave at him.<br/>"Hey guys." Dream smiled. This was a very happy memory for him. Dream returned the punchy-wave. The memory was more or less the same as he'd remembered, but some things seemed off.<br/>"Why are you building a giant panda George?" Dream asked, now standing in front of a giant panda statue.<br/>"Well, Pandas has no panda friends in the game, so I made him one."<br/>"Awww! George thanks!"<br/>"No problem Panpan." George never called Pandas "panpan". At least not that Dream could remember. Despite being in his past body, Dream could remember everything. This was a memory. Does that mean he could change it?<br/>"Hey guys, watch this." Dream quickly towered up using rainbow wool.<br/>"Ooh! Rainbow wool! That looks super cool Dream." George didn't say anything.<br/>Dream proceeded to build wool towers in various pride flag colors, and by the end of the night he'd built 15 towers with varying meaning.<br/>"Dream, what's with the towers?"<br/>"Hey, I just thought it would be fun."<br/>"Pride flags?" Dream felt the words die in his throat. George had figured him out. "Are you trying to tell us something?"<br/>"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." Pandas was laughing at their argument.<br/>"Well if you are, just know that I'll still be your friend Dream,' Pandas said, and Dream could feel his heart squeeze.<br/>"We both will. You can't get rid of me that easily." If either of them said anything remotely flirty or romantic, Dream might spontaneously combust from the amount of love he felt for his friends.<br/>Dream awoke this time to the loud clap of thunder. A glance out his window told him that they were not going anywhere today. It was pouring, and the trees shook in the wind. An alert on his phone told him that the winds were around 60 mph and to stay home. Yeah, no shit.<br/>When he walked downstairs, a pleasant but unplaceable smell wafted around him. Entering the kitchen greeted him with a smiling George, who was leaning against the counter opposite the oven. Something that smelled divine was baking.<br/>"I thought you said you couldn't cook." George looked over at him, before smiling wider.<br/>"I can't cook, but I can bake."<br/>"Mhm." Dream stood next to him, trying to see what was in the oven. "What did you make?"<br/>"A danish." Dream straightened (hah) and looked George in the eye.<br/>"A what?" Now it was George's turn to look at him like he was crazy.<br/>"Are you serious? You've never had an apple danish?"<br/>"No?"<br/>"Wow, just wow. Well, then you can judge both my taste in food and my baking skills."<br/>"Sounds good." After about 5 minutes, the oven timer dinged, and George pulled the baking tray out of the oven and set the danish on a cooling rack.<br/>"No eating yet, unless you want to lose the flesh in your mouth." George warned him, but Dream didn't listen. Cutting a medium sized piece of the pastry, he dug in.<br/>It was delicious, and indeed molten hot.<br/>"Ow…" Dream said, but he kept eating despite the pain.<br/>"What did I tell you?"<br/>"Not to eat it yet."<br/>"And what did you do?"<br/>"Burn my tongue."<br/>"So what did we learn?"<br/>"George is a god of baking and his baked goods are too good to wait for."<br/>"No!" George smacked at him with an oven mitt, hitting his forearm.<br/>"I'm sorry George! It's just too good!"<br/>"What's too good?" Sapnap was there in the doorway, watching them with an amused smile.<br/>"Sap, George can bake."<br/>"Can he now?" Sapnap took a piece of the cooling pastry and bit in.<br/>"Mhh, that's heavenly."<br/>"Damn right it is," George smirked, holding his head high.<br/>"Anyway, what do we wanna do today? We can't exactly," Dream gestured to the window, where the rain was falling heavily, "go anywhere."<br/>Somehow, without speaking the three agreed on what they would do today.<br/>Sapnap was on pillow castle duty, George was on snack preparation, and Dream got to pick the movie. While the other two were preoccupied, Dream slipped away. If they were going to have a lazy day, then why not dress for it? Opening the closet, he was met with hoodies of all colors. Some were just normal hoodies, others unreleased merch, others were merch of someone else. Smirking, Dream pulled out the light blue hoodie and laid it over his shoulders. As a last second idea, he looked through the unreleased merch, before settling on two. One was black with dark blue sleeves and hood, with a design of his Blob wearing clout goggles. The other was white with orange trim and hood, inscribed with a similar image, but with a headband instead of glasses. Throwing one into each guest room as he passed them, Dream returned to the first floor.<br/>After settling the pillow castle, which was more of a pillow nest with a blanket spread over top of it. Dream could sit under the blanket with minimal ducking of his head, so it was left alone.<br/>"Why did you change clothes?" George asked, noticing Dream's GeorgeNotFound hoodie.<br/>"Eh, thought if we were having a lazy day, might as well wear something comfortable."<br/>"Fine by me. Is that the 'dress code' now?"<br/>"Yes. All attendees of the Dream Team Movie Night must be wearing comfortable clothes. No exceptions."<br/>Dream watched his, friends(?), go upstairs. While waiting for them to return, the pit in his stomach opened once again.<br/>What if they hate them? What if this was too much?<br/>His worries were quickly put to rest when Sapnap walked back into the room wearing the hoodie and a pair of black sweatpants. He sat down beside Dream.<br/>"Thanks."<br/>"For what?"<br/>"You know what, idiot." Dream smirked. <br/>"You're welcome, Snapmap." He felt Sap tense next to him, and deflated. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."<br/>"Call me that again and we will have issues."<br/>"Will we have to get marriage counseling?"<br/>"You're a shitty husband."<br/>"You wound me, dear wife."<br/>"Nah bitch, I'm the best fucking wife ever."<br/>"Who's fucking wives now?" George was standing near the nest entrance, also wearing the hoodie Dream had thrown into his room. Both Dream and Sapnap nearly died laughing that day, while George just looked on, a strange feeling filling his heart. A soft smile crossed his face, and he settled himself on the other side for Dream, and leaned against him.<br/>"Thank you," he whispered softly, which caused Dream to almost combust.<br/>"Y-you're welcome…" His voice was shaking, and George just smiled again.<br/>Sapnap looked over to see the other two doing this, and instead of wanting to mess with them, he just smiled. This was happy, and he was a part of it. It was perfect, and so were they. Dream, with his light brown messy hair that always seemed to fall just perfectly to frame his green eyes. George, who always had a smile, whether it was in his eyes or on his face. The two were so perfect, and so perfect for each other. The way they talked to each other just worked. They wouldn't need him to be happy.<br/>Dream, who chose now to look over at his other companion, noticed the stormy swirls of thought clouding his dark grey eyes. Grabbing him by the arm, Dream pulled Sapnap into the cuddle that had begun. It hadn't felt right without him anyways.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 8 (1,313)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(TW: Cats, rain, flooding mention)</p>
<p>After settling into their cuddle pile, the trio started the movie. It was a romance film, but it was about this guy who is just coming to terms with being bisexual in a semi-supportive home. He's fallen in love with his best friend, but there's a girl who will not leave him alone. It's kinda cheesy, but that's okay. The only thing that bothered Dream was the burning in the back of his skull. He could see the flag he'd hung in his bedroom when he'd first moved in. The colorful stripes had made him so happy. Finally able to display it in all its glory, like a bright declaration of self-identity. The bright yellow, pink, and blue flag brought him much joy, but also much worry. The constant flow of what if's kept swirling into a maelstrom of anxious fear. It wasn't until a hand cupped his face and a voice reached his ear that the thoughts were quieted.<br/>"Hey, are you okay?" Sapnap looked worried, and Dream didn't want to lie to him.<br/>"It's just, worry about the future. Our future, the three of us." They'd have to talk about this sooner or later. George shifted against Dream, and rested his head on Dream's shoulder.<br/>"What about it?"<br/>"I- uh," Dream cursed himself silently. Why were words so hard? "It's nothing." Neither George nor Sapnap seems convinced with this answer, but neither pressed it.</p>
<p>After the third movie, it was clear no one was actually watching them. Sapnap had been staring out the window at the rain as it fell, George was asleep, and Dream had been scrolling through social media for the better part of the last movie. Dream checked the time; 11:30 a.m. He sighed and fell back against the couch. Patches, who had been sitting on said couch, padded over and licked his forehead.<br/>"Really?" Dream asked the cat, who simply mewed in response.<br/>"Wish I knew what that meant." Dream sat up, and Patches batted at the empty space where his head was a second before. George stirred, but only enough to shift closer to him and fall asleep again. Dream could feel his own heartbeat slowing. Sleep was near, he could feel it.<br/>Sapnap watched the rain fall heavily outside. The pitter tap tap on the windows was so soothing. The drumming of the rain hitting the walls, the taps against the glass, and the occasional whistle of wind above it all. Nature's symphony, he thought. He'd barely noticed Dream leaning over until his full weight was against Sap's side, forcing him to look away from the rain. Both Dream and George were out cold. Sapnap smiled, and gently shifted Dream from his shoulder to his chest, basically forcing him to lie down. Without realizing it, Sapnap had started humming. Just a simple tune, one he'd heard somewhere before, but couldn't quite place.<br/>Sapnap continued, closing his eyes and relaxing. This was everything to him. It was perfect. And he couldn't be happier.<br/>Dream stirred in that moment, but did his best to keep from moving. Hearing Sapnap sing, Dream thought he'd couldn't fall more in love with him. He smiled slightly, before turning onto his back.<br/>"Oh, you're awake." Sap was red now, embarrassed at being caught.<br/>"Don't worry about me. Keep singing, if you want to." Sap smiled, and continued to hum. From Dream's position lying on Sap, he could feel the vibrations from his humming. The moment was so peaceful, so perfect. When Sapnap stopped humming, Dream looked up at him, only to see the other leaned slightly over him.<br/>"Hey Dream?'<br/>"Yeah?" Sap was close, but not too close. <br/>"What were you actually worried about?" After a moment, Dream mumbled something incoherent.<br/>"What?"<br/>"IsaidiminlovewithyoutwobutIwasscared." After a second, Sapnap leaned over and looked Dream in the eye.<br/>"May I?" Despite the vagueness of the question, Dream nodded slowly. Then it happened. Sapnap kissed him. It was short but sweet, leaving both parties with racing hearts and flushed faces.<br/> When Sap pulled away, the two looked at each other, and smiled.<br/>"That was nice," Dream whispered, remembering the sleeping George that still lay on him.<br/>"Yeah, yeah it was." Sapnap smiled, and the two watched the rain fall together.<br/>"So, would you be okay with…?" Dream asked, and Sapnap looked from him to George, who was still sleeping on Dream. A warmth filled his heart, and the thought of one of them not being here in this moment, or in the rest of his life, made his heart ache. He wanted to be happy with  both of them.<br/>"Nah, I just want the three of us to be happy together." A second passed before Sapnap realized what he'd said.<br/>"Ofcoursewecanwaitandstuffejghthdjrit."<br/>"First off, how the fuck did you just verbalize a keyboard smash? Secondly, I know what you meant, but I'd be fine with the implied as well."<br/>"Firstly, my inability to English 40% of my life. Secondly, it sounds good to me."<br/>"Will you then?"<br/>"Marry you? At least take me for dinner first." Dream glared at him, but both were smiling like idiots. "Okay, yes, I'll be your Minecraft boyfriend."<br/>"Yay." Dream deadpanned, and Sap just shook his head.<br/>George had woken at some point during the other two's heart to heart mess, but remained silent. It wasn't until Sapnap said "the three of us together," that George had even moved. He felt his heartbeat accelerate almost out of his chest. So it hadn't just been him. After the two finished talking, George stretched and yawned, like he'd only now woken up.<br/>"Did I miss anything?" He said, rubbing his face for effect.<br/>Both Dream and Sapnap looked between themselves and him.<br/>"What?" Play along George.<br/>"Well…"<br/>"Let me guess; you two had a heartfelt and loving conversation about the soul and how you'll love each other forever and-" George couldn't continue, the shocked expressions on their faces made him burst out laughing. "Am I right?"<br/>"Basically, yeah I guess." George stopped laughing.<br/>"Wait, what?"<br/>"We were gonna ask you too, but you were asleep," Dream shrugged.<br/>"Well, ask me then."<br/>"GeorgeNotFound, will you be our Minecraft boyfriend?"<br/>"Depends, Sapnap and Dream, will you be my Minecraft boyfriends?" The trio laughed together, before trying to compose themselves.<br/>"Yeah, I'll be your boyfriend." Sap's eyes widened.<br/>"You'll be, my irl boyfriend?"<br/>"Bitch we're all irl boyfriends now." Dream snarked, causing the other two to lose all oxygen in their lungs.<br/>By 4, the rain had yet to stop, and flood warnings were making their rounds. While Dream was mostly unbothered by these things, both George and Sapnap were in mild stages of panic. This easily was the second-most stressful time of their visit. Dream tried to find a fix-all solution to keep his boyfriends from stressing, but nothing came to mind, until one.<br/>"How about we go up to my room and watch movies there?" It would be higher in the house, less worrisome with the flooding, and the three of them could stay together so no one got caught alone.<br/>"That, that sounds good." George was borderline shaking. Sapnap only nodded in response. He led the two worrywarts up to his room, and the three once again settled into a comfortable cuddle pile. Dream, having both George and Sapnap lying on him, could feel the tension slowly ebbing away. The movie was playing in the background, but Dream was watching his boyfriends' faces. Slowly the worry was leaving their eyes, and the trio collectively sighed. Today had been a mess, but that was okay. Almost in sync with the thunder outside, a thought struck Dream. None of them had uploaded in almost a week. The fans were probably panicking. But as quickly as the thought came, his panic left. They'd all have one hell of a story to tell later anyways.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 9 (1,089)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(TW: Hospitals, mentions of Death)</p>
<p>"Please, just hold on." Dream found himself in a hospital. What scared him more was the sight of his own body. He was unconscious in the bed, an iv dripping slowly almost in time with the beeping heart monitor. Two distraught faces were the only other people within the room. <br/>"Please Clay, for us, hold on." The pleading cries from George were heart wrenching. Sapnap was rubbing circles on George's back, trying to calm his hysterics. Dream wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch them. To grab George's face and tell him it'd be okay. To do something, anything. But his body just lay there.<br/>"What happened?"<br/>Car accident<br/>"What?"<br/>Drunk driver<br/>"Who's there?" Dream-soul spun around, trying to locate the source of the voice.<br/>It's only me. A dark figure stood in the corner of the room, ignored by everyone else. In an instant, Dream knew who this shadowy figure was.<br/>"Death…"<br/>Yes<br/>"Am I going to die soon?"<br/>Maybe<br/>"Maybe?"<br/>Do you want to die<br/>"I-no. I don't want to leave yet."<br/>Why<br/>"Because," Dream turned to face the two still huddled around his body. George had stopped crying, and Sap was holding him close. "I still need to do something."<br/>What do you need to do<br/>"I, I'm going to marry them."<br/>Is that all<br/>"No. We'll live in a nice house, maybe even adopt a kid one day."<br/>Do you love them<br/>"Yes."<br/>More than life itself<br/>"Absolutely."<br/>Then you shall stay<br/>"What?"<br/>I may be Death, but even immortals have hearts<br/>"Death?"<br/>Yes<br/>"Do you have someone?"<br/>In a way, yes<br/>"Thank you."<br/>You are welcome, and when your time comes, you will be welcomed into the house of death with open arms, Clay<br/>"Goodbye for now, Death."<br/>Goodbye<br/>Dream awoke with a start, but he was not in the hospital. Instead he was wrapped in blankets with his two boyfriends, who were still sound asleep. The rain had slowed and the wind had died down. Patches had curled up in between him and Sapnap, and was snoring softly. The dim green clock read 3:45 AM. God, he needed to get more sleep. After lying back down, a soft noise came from George.<br/>"Why're you awake?" He mumbled, rubbing at his eyes.<br/>"Nightmare, it woke me up. Sorry if I woke you."<br/>"Go back to sleep." George grabbed his arm and snuggled into his side. Within a minute he was asleep again, and Dream found himself pinned. With the soft pitter patter of the rain against the glass, Dream felt his eyelids grow heavy. Sleep had claimed him once again, and he let it.<br/>"Dream, please." The voice sounded so broken, so hopeless. Despite the pain, Dream forced his eyes open. He was in a hospital room. <br/>"Dream?!" George was kneeling next to the bed, clutching his hand. "You're, you're…"<br/>"You're alive?" The doctor walked in then, seemingly surprised that Dream was awake. "But, but how?"<br/>"Death, is a very kind entity when they want to be." The doctor looked at him funny, before checking his clipboard. George and Sapnap were both hugging him, blubbering and crying, saying they loved him and how happy they were that he was okay.<br/>When he woke up again, Dream was alone in the bed. Both Sapnap and George were gone. After getting up and changing, Dream walked downstairs to a dark first floor. After almost tripping over a now disgruntled Patches, he found a light switch and flicked it on.<br/>To find Sapnap and George in, cosplay? They were dressed like their Minecraft skins, down to the checkered shoes for Sapnap and the red-bordered white logo on George's blue shirt.<br/>"What is happening?"<br/>"We thought it'd be fun to just, hang out today, dressed like our Minecraft skins?" The level of insecurity in George's voice mounted with each pause.<br/>"Please don't make me wear a lime green morph suit all day." The other two burst, laughter spilling out in a melodious tune.<br/>"Nah, just a green hoodie and your mask will be fine."<br/>"This is stupid…" Dream paused, "I'm in."<br/>After a quick change of clothes and a rough decision on a plan for the day, the three set out onto their adventures. The boardwalk was their first destination, and it was only mildly crowded. The arcade was a blast, and the overly-sugary fairy-tale foods made the day seem whimsical and fun, like a portal back to childhood. What surprised Dream was how many people stopped them to ask for photos. Sure, the three had substantial followings on both YouTube and Twitch, but still. Oftentimes the fans would be giddy and super excited to meet them, which made his heart swell a bit. He'd touched so many lives simply by being who he is. That is, until one dickwad showed up.<br/>The three had been talking when two people came up to them. They'd asked for a photo, and the guy seemed happy as could be. The girl, however, decided to be a bitch.<br/>"Can we take a photo with you guys?" He'd been so polite, so the three agreed to the photo. The four posed together, until the girl walked up and pulled down Dream's hood, knocking the mask loose as well. The click came a moment later.<br/>"WHAT THE HELL?" Dream was pissed. This was absolute bullshit. This bitch thought she had the fucking right? The guy didn't make eye contact.<br/>"I deleted the photo, I'm so sorry." He seemed like someone had just destroyed his hopes. <br/>"Well, I thought you wanted a photo with them James." The lady said, pouting her lip.<br/>"I am so sorry for her. Please forgive me." He still didn't make eye contact, and it took Dream a minute to realize why. His mask was around his neck still. He replaced the mask on his face before answering.<br/>"You didn't do anything wrong, so you're good. You friend on the other hand…"<br/>"She's not my friend." The lady went from have pity on poor widdle old mwe to wait, the fuck? In two seconds.<br/>"WHAT THE HELL JAMES?!"<br/>"Leave." The woman, clear that she'd lost, stalked off without another word. "I'm so sorry for how she acted." He looked up from the boardwalk finally.<br/>"It's okay James. It wasn't your fault." George said, and Dream and Sapnap nodded in agreement.<br/>"Now, let's get you a good photo, okay?" Sapnap said, which is exactly what happened. James thanked them before running off, and the three continued with their day.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 10 (1,053)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(TW: Mentions of Imposter syndrome, mentions of dissociation, panic attack)</p>
<p>The boardwalk date had gone perfectly, except for the incident with the woman. The three were sitting in Dream's car, Dream in the driver's seat, George in the passenger, and Sapnap in the back, and were deciding what to do now. The three had been eating practically all day, and Dream could tell that no one was going to want food tonight.<br/>"So, what do we want to do?"<br/>"Could we go swimming again?" For a second, the memory of water in his lungs began to overwhelm Dream. As soon as it had come, however, it was gone, forgotten just as quickly.<br/>"That sounds good. Maybe we could-" the dream at the old dock flashed in Dream's mind. "I know where we should go."<br/>"Ohoho! Dream taking us to a mysterious location? One where no one will hear us-"<br/>"Shut It!" George was beet red and covering his face with his hands. Dream could feel his own blush warm his face.<br/>"Wow Sapnap, suuuuper mature of you."<br/>"I know, so very mature of me."<br/>It took everyone maybe three minutes to be ready. When Dream walked past his car, George raised an eyebrow.<br/>"We're walking?"<br/>"Calm down, it's like ten minutes walk from here. No point in driving."<br/>Despite not being able to go to the dock during the last few years he'd lived with his mom, he still knew the way there by heart. Despite the late hour, the lagoon was bright with moonlight, but the most amazing part of this place had yet to happen.<br/>"This place is beautiful."<br/>"Just wait." But they didn't have to wait long. When the moon was overhead, something amazing happened. Beautiful white flowers began to open their blooms, almost in sync with both each other and the moon itself. <br/>"Moonflowers. They only bloom at night, and they grow wild here." Despite having seen the blooming of the flowers a dozen times, it never failed to take his breath away. This place was beautiful. The other two were just as awestruck. The scene before them was like something out of a fantasy novel. The flowers glowed in the pale light, and the water sparkled like stardust. Dream sat at the end of the dock, not yet disturbing the water's surface. Everything was still, beautiful, perfect. The old wood creaked as George sat beside him. Sapnap was on his other side, slightly behind him. The dream was in the forefront of his mind at that moment. Why was this going so similarly? The water was warm and lapped gently at the dock edge, splashing up before falling to the mass again. The stars were faintly twinkling overhead, and the cooler evening air spun around them in an entrancing dance of divinity. <br/>No one spoke, but rather just sat there, the lagoon was a sanctuary for so long, and now it was something much more. Was it?<br/>Was it?<br/>Dream could feel an all-too familiar feeling. There was a pit of fear and anxiety opening in his stomach, twisting what was real into shades and shadows of nightmares.<br/>"I can't believe you…"<br/>"How could you lie to…"<br/>"We are done, got it…"<br/>"I'm going home…"<br/>"This doesn't work…"<br/>"You'll never be enough."<br/>"They don't love you."<br/>"No one loves you."<br/>"Why should they?"<br/>"You're worthless."<br/>Dream watched as his reflection became someone he could not recognize. Leaf-green eyes filled with fear and distance stare back at him, light brown hair messily framed a tired face, sunken bags beneath the eyes told that they hadn't slept well in at least a week. The person staring back at him was a mess, face set in a scowl. They were exhausted, and the color started to seep out of the eyes, leaving them a dull greenish-grey, dead and hollow.<br/>"Dream?" The voice sounded like it was far away, and underwater. The words were distorted and quiet. Who was he looking at? No name could come to mind for this terrible person in the reflection. Why were they here? Still, he had no answer. Were they here to hurt him? No, the only thing he could be sure of. The man in the reflection was not here to hurt him. Then why was he here? Why was anyone here? Why am I here? Do I deserve to be here?<br/>The questions piled up until his mind was nothing but whys, whats, and hows spinning at rapid speeds. Nothing made sense, but he didn't know how to fix it. Could any of this even be fixed? <br/>"Dream!" George was shaking him now, but nothing seemed to be working. "Sap what's happening?" <br/>"I'm not sure…" Dream's pupils were dilated and he looked zoned out. His breathing was rapid and uneven. That means…<br/>"George, he's having a panic attack."<br/>The two moved Dream away from the edge of the dock, and sat on either side of him.<br/>"Dream, if you can hear me, I need you to do something for me."<br/>The voice, watery but strong, cut through the storm and reached Dream, who was scared, truly scared.<br/>"W-what?"<br/>The words barely left his mouth, but that was enough.<br/>"Dream, try to name five things you can feel."<br/>The wind.<br/>Someone's holding my hand.<br/>The wood of the dock.<br/>My heartbeat.<br/>My clothes.<br/>The words never left his mind, but that was okay.<br/>"Four things you can hear?"<br/>The wind.<br/>Sap's voice.<br/>The water.<br/>George's breathing.<br/>"Three things you can see?"<br/>Despite his eyes being open, Dream could barely see anything.<br/>"The dock…."<br/>Sapnap.<br/>The moon.<br/>"Good. Two things you can smell?"<br/>The ocean air.<br/>"Flowers…"<br/>"Great, almost done. One thing you can taste?"<br/>"The, the salt in the air." Dream blinked a few times, the darkness receding into the corner of his vision. His breathing was still uneven, but he looked more present in the moment, and that was enough.<br/>"Awesome. Dream, can you copy my breathing?" Sapnap was looking at him, worry chiseled into the corner of his grey eyes. <br/>"In for four,"<br/>1, 2, 3, 4,<br/>"Hold for seven,"<br/>1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,<br/>"Out for eight."<br/>1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.<br/>After repeating this pattern, Dream's breathing normalized, and the panic disappeared. He was here, in this moment, with George and Sapnap.<br/>And that was enough.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 11 (1,357)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(TW: overthinking, locking doors)</p>
<p>When the three got home, Dream said nothing, went straight to his room, and locked the door behind him. He slid down the door, sitting on the floor, holding his head in his hands.<br/>I'm such a mess.<br/>How did I not notice before?<br/>You never had to worry about being enough. About being worthy. About being the right person.<br/>Yeah, maybe that's it.<br/>Of course it is. I'm you, so I'd know.<br/>How would you know if I didn't know?<br/>Maybe, you aren't always aware of everything about yourself.<br/>Oh…<br/>Yeah…<br/>I guess that makes sense.<br/>"Dream?" George's voice came from the other side of the door. "Can you please unlock the door?"<br/>"Come on, Clay." The sound of his own name made him flinch. "Please let us in."<br/>The doorknob moved a bit, and when Sapnap tried to turn it, it gave without much effort. Dream was sitting on his bed, back turned to them and staring at the wall in front of him. <br/>"Dream…" George went to place a hand on his shoulder, but he flinched away.<br/>Why did he flinch? Is he scared of us?<br/>"Dream…"  Sapnap sat on the edge of the bed next to Dream, but didn't touch him. "Please, just let us help."<br/>That's when Sapnap noticed.<br/>Dream was crying.<br/>Without thinking, Sapnap wrapped his arms around Dream, burying his face in Dream's shoulder.<br/>"It's okay, Dream. I'm here. I'm not leaving." The other turned and wordlessly hugged him back, crying into Sapnap's shoulder. George was next to Dream, rubbing circles in his back to comfort him. <br/>"We're both here for you, no matter what."<br/>"You're enough Dream, and nothing can change that." <br/>"We love you, Clay." The crying choked and stopped, but no one made any motion to leave. A quiet "thank you" was mumbled into Sap's shoulder. <br/>The three stayed there for no one knows how long, but it was nearly dawn when Dream finally fell asleep. Sapnap looked to George, who looked about as tired as Sap felt. Rather than leave Dream alone and return to their own rooms, the two stayed with him, lying on either side of him before falling asleep.<br/>The sun was warm and the sky was a bright blue. It was beautiful. The clouds drifted by lazily, forming shapes only to shift and change into something else, never staying the same for too long. It was beautiful.<br/>"Are you cloud-watching love?" Sapnap turned his head to see George sitting above him, a soft smile on his lips.<br/>"Yeah, do you want to join me?"<br/>"Sure." George lay down in the grass next to him, and without a second's hesitation intertwined their hands. The simple gesture caused Sap to short-circuit, a crimson blush crawling up his neck and spreading across his face. It wasn't until he heard the faint tink that he looked to their interlocked fingers. There was a simple copper band encircling his right ring finger, and a silver band almost identical to his own was on George's finger.<br/>They almost looked like…<br/>Wedding bands.<br/>"What are you looking at dear?" George seemed confused by Sapnap's actions.<br/>"Nothing, Just thought I heard something." But the amount of questions Sap had was far from nothing. He was married. And to George. That gave him pause. Where was Dream?<br/>"Alright you two, I made lemonade, come get it while it's cold." As if to answer Sapnap's questions, Dream was standing there holding a pitcher of lemonade, the gold ring on his right hand catching the sunlight occasionally. George stood, and helped him up. The two got their lemonade, and they all sat in the grass and watched the clouds go by. It was so peaceful, and Sapnap was loving every second of it.<br/>George opened his eyes, and sunlight was streaming in through a window. He stretched, before realizing this wasn't his room. A quick glance told him little about whose room this was. All there was was the large bed he was currently sitting on, a dresser with a tv above it in front of him, and four colorful flags hung on the wall to his left. He only recognized two at the time, a rainbow flag and a pink, purple, and blue flag hung in-between a yellow, pink, and blue flag to the right and a blue, red, and black flag with a gold pi symbol in the center to the left. An involuntary yawn escaped him, and something tugged at his arm.<br/>"Too early, go back to sleep." Dream was lying there next to him, trying to get George to lie down.<br/>"What?"<br/>"I said it's too early. Go back to sleep." George complied, laying back down, and without a moment's pause, Dream's arms were around his stomach, pulling him close. Despite the shock of the sudden contact, George was quickly distracted by the feeling of metal against his skin. The source of the odd feeling was soon revealed to be the gold band around Dream's right ring finger. A moment passed, then George looked to his own hand, finding a similar silver ring around his own finger. Something was off.<br/>"Where's Sapnap?" Dream made a noise, and mumbled into George's neck, which sent a slight shiver down his spine.<br/>"I don't know. He was gone when I woke up."<br/>"Oh." As if on cue, a soft knocking came from the door.<br/>"Are my two favorite people awake?"<br/>"Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh." Dream clearly didn't want to be awake.<br/>"I'll take that as a yes." The door opened, and Sapnap was there with three mugs. "I made coffee."<br/>At the mention of the caffeinated drink, Dream released George and began to make grabby hands at the lime green mug in Sapnap's hand. Sap rolled his eyes but handed Dream the mug, which he accepted gratefully. Sap handed George a mug as well, but the contents were different.<br/>"I know you don't like coffee, so I made you some black tea instead." George smiled.<br/>"Thank you."<br/>"Of course, sweetheart." The tea was delicious, and the moment was all together quite nice. Simple, domestic, and warm, it was quite the perfect way to start his day. The glint of Sap's copper ring caught his eye, but George said nothing. It was just a moment in his life, but one that he would always love.<br/>Dream was watching the sun set over the horizon. The shadows of the trees were already stretching and contorting to look menacing, but the warm purples and oranges of the sunset made it look almost mythical.<br/>"It's beautiful." Dream turned his attention to Sapnap, who was leaning against his side, head on Dream's shoulder. <br/>"Yeah it is. Almost looks like the sun is lighting the surface on fire."<br/>It was lovely, and Dream was enjoying the moment. <br/>"I love you Clay."<br/>"I love you too." The response fell out of his mouth before he could process what he had heard or was saying. Sapnap's right hand was intertwined with Dream's left, and the cool metal of the copper ring on his finger caught Dream's attention. When he looked at his own right hand, there was a golden ring that was otherwise identical to the one Sapnap had. <br/>Wedding rings, that's what they were.<br/>Despite everything, Dream recalled his faux conversation with death.<br/>"I'm going to marry them."<br/>Looks like that was checked off the list, sort of. Where was George?<br/>The summer breeze was warm, but not humid, and swept across them with it's kind but fleeting embrace. It wasn't until something actually embraced the two of them a few minutes later that Dream got an answer.<br/>"Sorry I was late, computer nearly crashed during upload, almost caused a disaster, but everything's fine now."<br/>"Especially since you're here, babe." Sapnap placed a kiss on George's cheek, who just smiled.<br/>"Glad to be here, darling." George returned the favor, and the silver loop around his ring finger caught the fading golden light, making it look like molten silver. <br/>Marry them ✔<br/>Dream smiled. This was what he wanted, just a simple happy life with his two partners. Everything else would be a bonus.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 12 (1,430)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(TW: a bit spicier than before, still not sex tho [I don't write smut], suggestive language, )</p>
<p>They all knew it was coming, but no one wanted to admit it. Tomorrow, George and Sapnap would once again be miles away from him, and their only contact would be over call. The weight of tomorrow pressed on all three of them with crushing strength. Dream hated it, hated that they had to leave. <br/>"Dream, come on. If we don't make the most of today, it'll just make tomorrow suck more." Dream knew Sapnap was right, but still.<br/>"What are we gonna do, anyways?" Despite all three of them having strikingly similar dreams, no one mentioned it. However, that did give Dream an idea. <br/>"Do you guys wanna go shopping? There's a mall not too far from here that has almost anything you could ever want."<br/>"Sure, sounds like fun, and I can pick up some souvenirs for this trip."<br/>"You're such a tourist."<br/>"Damn right I am," Sap spat back, a haughty grin in his face.<br/>Kiss him. Wipe that stupid grin off his face.<br/>"Well, if you're such a tourist…" Dream approached him, but stopped just far enough that there was maybe an inch of space between them. "Maybe I should show you around." He closed the gap, and Dream could hear the muffled sound of surprise from Sapnap. Dream pulled back a second later, wearing a stupid grin of his own. Sapnap, on the other hand, was about as red as a cooked lobster.<br/>"Wow, you're such a smooth talker Dream. I'm so impressed." George was practically soaking his words in sarcasm.<br/>"Think you can do any better?" Without another word, George was next to him in a second.<br/>"Well, if you insist, Darling~." The fire within roared and flourished at the words. "You may have fallen from heaven, but one look in your eyes tells me you know how to sin."<br/>"I-eh-huh?" Dream's voice was unsteady, and he could feel that same passionate fire burn him from the inside.<br/>"Oh, shit too far. Are you okay?" George seemed to become a totally different person. <br/>"Y-yeah, I'll be fine, just-just gimme a minute. Holy shit George."<br/>"Sorry."<br/>"No-no, you're good. You're good." Dream tried to compose himself. "Holy fuck."<br/>"Anyways, let's go to this wonder mall of yours, Dream."<br/>The three set out on their last day's adventure, two parties not knowing about a plan already forming within the third's mind. <br/>When they arrived, the three agreed to meet at the food court at 1, and split up. Dream, not wanting to forget the details, walked quickly to the jeweler shop.<br/>"Good morning sir! How can I help you?" The person behind the counter greeted him, but Dream was too focused to respond. He looked into the glass display cases, but none of them looked right.<br/>"What are you looking for, sir?" The sales clerk was back.<br/>"Just simple metal band rings."<br/>"We do have those, any color or metal preferences?"<br/>"Gold, silver, and copper, please."<br/>The clerk nodded and ducked behind the cabinet, and reappeared a moment later.<br/>"Sizing?"<br/>"A 7 for the silver, 8.5 for the copper, and 10 for the gold." The clerk dug through the small boxes, and transferred the right-sized rings into the right box.<br/>"Gift wrap or anything of that sort?"<br/>"No, that won't be necessary."<br/>The clerk nodded, rang up the purchase, and Dream left the shop, box in his hoodie pocket. His watch read 10:35 A.M., so he still had some time to kill.<br/>George had officially gotten horribly lost. None of the store names were familiar, and the signs were all color-coded, which told him next to nothing about where he was.<br/>Wandering through the three-story shopping mall, a storefront caught his eye. It was some kind of cheesy turf and surf gift shop, but it couldn't hurt to look, right?<br/>He browsed the aisles with no real direction, and found himself in front of a rack of shell necklaces. Most looked painful, but one caught his attention. <br/>The shell looked almost exactly like the one Dream had given him at the beach.<br/>George bought it and looped it over his head. The shell sat almost directly over his heart.<br/>Perfect souvenir.<br/>Sapnap wanted to find something special. Something meaningful to remember this trip. Several moments from the trip kept popping up in his mind. The beach, his and Dream’s heart to heart about being a main character in your own life, the moonflowers, the hoodies, even the first night here, when they all fell asleep on Dream’s couch to the Princess Bride. A soft smile and an even softer sigh followed. Sure, the trip hadn’t been ‘perfect’, but Sapnap wouldn’t change it for the world. He had the most important thing in the world. He had fallen in love with his two best friends, and now they were his boyfriends. An odd shop caught his eye, and curiosity led him inside.<br/>“Good morning, sir. You’re looking for something special, are you not?” The person behind the counter looked normal at first glance, but Sap did a double-take after what they said. Steel-blue eyes looked back, almost appearing to be made of actual metal.<br/>“Yeah, actually. I’m looking for something, kinda specific.”<br/>“But you don’t know what it is yet, right?”<br/>“Yeah…” This person was creepy.<br/>“Sorry if I spooked you dude. I’m just really perceptive. What can I help you look for?” okay, mood switch real quick there.<br/>“I’m looking for something…”<br/>“If it’s memories or events you want to remember, we have a huge charm bin. It’s like a dollar for three chains and a quarter for five charms.”<br/>“That’s, perfect. I’ll take three chains, where’s the charm bin?” The person pointed to a large storage tote that, sure enough, was filled almost to the brim with charms. Wooden, metal, glass, all kinds.<br/>After digging through the bin like a racoon, Sapnap found some pretty perfect charms. Three wooden moonflowers, three metal hearts with ‘My Love’ engraved on the back, three stained glass-like charms, three metal charms that all read ‘Main Character Energy’,  and a unique charm for each of them. For Dream, it was a wooden charm with the moon cut into it. For George, a quarter that had been attached to a loop of metal, making a charm. And for himself, a simple plastic disc with the words “Dreams are wishes we find nowhere else” etched in. He paid, and the cashier waved as he left.<br/>By now, it was almost 12:30, and the three started on their way to the food court. Dream ran into George, who was still lost, and they walked the rest of the way together.<br/>By 1:00, George and Dream were waiting by one of the pillars in the otherwise large open space when a running figure came into view.<br/>“Hey guys! Sorry I’m a bit late, got lost.” George scoffed and Dream almost lost it he was laughing so hard. “What?”<br/>“Nothing, nothing.” Dream regained his composure. “Did you guys find anything cool?”<br/>“Yeah,” Both George and Sapnap responded in unison. George pulled the shell from under his shirt, showing it to the others.<br/>“Woah, that’s really pretty.”<br/>“It’s just like…” George nodded, smiling. <br/>“That’s what I thought.”<br/>“I bought the three of us these,” Sap opened the bag and handed the necklaces to the other two, holding on to his own, “to help remind us of this trip.”<br/>“They’re beautiful.” Dream undid the clasp and reconnected it around his neck, George doing the same. Sapnap slid the chain over his head, not needing to undo it.<br/>“I have a gift as well, but it has to wait until we get home.”<br/>“Ohohoho!” Sapnap wiggled his eyebrows. “A secret!”<br/>“It’ll be worth it, trust me.”<br/>By the time they got home it was almost three, and going anywhere else didn’t seem like it was happening. George and Sap were on their phones in the living room, and Dream held the box in his hand, nerves making his stomach churn.<br/>“So, Dream.” Sapnap was looking at him now, which caused Dream to jump. “What’s that surprise?”<br/>“It’s this.” Dream walked over to stand in front of the couch, before kneeling down. “This isn’t a proposal, more of a promise of one to come.” He held out the box and opened it, revealing the three near-identical metal bands. George and Sapnap blinked in surprise, but both quickly ruled it out as coincidence. The three donned their rings, and sat together for the last time in a while. It was enough, that much was certain.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>